JOIN USThe two accused, Ambareesh and Venu Gopal were injured in the police firing. Police claimed that the criminals had attacked a police party in the wee hours of Monday. The duo were among a five-member gang, which had robbed a couple Sunday night.
According to the police, Reshma D’Souza and her husband Prakash Mendosa were returning home on Sunday night and alighted from the city bus at Hongasandra.
Immediately five persons, wielding sharp-edged weapons, intercepted them and snatched their bracelet, gold chain, ear rings, two mobile phones and purse.
Satish, a traffic police inspector of Madiwala, was passing by the area saw this. He alerted the police through his wireless set. In the meantime, the couple reached Madiwala police station and lodged a complaint.
On the basis of information given by the victims, police identified one of the criminals as Raju. Madiwala police inspector Purushottam and his staff went to Raju’s residence and nabbed him while he was asleep and recovered a mobile phone from his possession.
On interrogation he confessed to the crime and revealed the name of other accomplices. Police arrested Sunil. When the police team went to nab others, two members of the gang- Ambareesh and Venugopal- attacked the police with a sword and machete.
Inspector Purushottam sustained injuries in his hand while Chandrappa was wounded in his neck, said the police.
The police team then fired on the criminals. One of the bullets hit Ambareesh in his abdomen while Venu was injured on in his thigh. Ambaresh was admitted to St John’s Hospital and Venu was sent to Hosmat Hospital. They are booked under cases of robbery, attempt to murder and preventing government officers from performing their duties, besides a case under the Arms Act.
For the heroic show, the Bangalore police commissioner Shankar Bidari announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to the policemen who were part of the operation. Police are in the lookout for the fifth criminal involved in the case.